Cigarette-packing machine



Sept. 19, 1933. J. NEFF CIGARETTE PACKING- MACHINE Filed May 1. 1951 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 19. 1933. J. NEFF 1,927,648

CIGARETTE PACKING MACHINE Filed May 1, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lure/1&0)":

Johan/1&9 lVe/f Ail? Patented Sept. 19, 1933 UNITED STAT S 1,927,648 7 rCIGARETTE-BACKING MACHINE Johannes Neff, Dresden, Germany, assignor to tUniverselle Cigarettenmaschinen-F a b r i k J. C. Miiller & 00.,Dresden, Germany.

Application May 1,1931, Serial'No.'534,267, and a in Germany May 3, 1930Claims. (01. 226-5) feeding the next group to the station and forrifling and so arranged that the cigarettes when leaving the guidingmeans are arranged in a position relative to each other resembling thatof scales or tiles.

It has already been suggested to'combine several groups of cigarettes,each including a given number of parallel cigarettesin juxtaposition, bysuperimposing the groups whereupon they are placed in a case. Variousmeans have been suggested for combining groups in this manner. Thegroups of cigarettes are delivered to a vertical stepped guiding trackalong which they are conveyed by pushers, grippers or the like atvarious levels, until they are combined. If the groups were supplied tothe track in transverse direction, each group was tak'en from a separatesupply hopper. However it is rather difiicult to supply the cigarettesto the track transversely, more particularly with respect to the timingof the transversely moving means to feeding means, which may also bepushers, grippers or the like, for moving the cigarettes along thetrack. I It has further been suggested to take the groups of cigarettesfrom hoppers arranged within the track itself. In this case the severalgroups were taken from a single hopperand the principal difficulty wasto move the groups to various levels. According to my invention, Iprovide a separate supply hopper of known type for each group ofcigarettes. These hoppers are arranged in vertically stepped relationalong the track and each group from the first hopper is fed by pushers,grippers or the like to a station to which a group from the secondhopper is fed by other means,

which may also be pushers or grippers, and these means then entrain thefirst group together with the second group, and so on. V r

If cigarettes of oblong cross section are tobe handled, each supplyhopper'is equipped with the aforesaid'rified guiding means. i

In the drawings aflixed to this specification and forming part thereof amachine embodying my invention'and provided with two supply hoppers isillustrated diagrammatically by way of example. Inthedrawings I I Fig. 1is an elevation, I

. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine,

v Fig. 3 is a partly sectional perspective illustration showing rifledguiding means, Fig.4 is a diagram showing the cigarettes of a group inhorizontal and in theoblique position which is imparted to'them by theguiding means,

Fig.5 is a section on the line V- V, and

Fig. 6 is a sectionon the line vivi in Fig.1.

Referring now to the drawings the machine is equipped with a horizontaltable'supporte'd on uprights G, and 1 and 13 are supply hoppers arrangedalong the table. Each supply hopper is subdivided by vertical partitions13 as'shown for thehopper 13 in Fig. 5, by which the cigarettes arearranged'in verticalpiles. f 3 and3' are guiding means allotted to thehoppers 1' and l3,'respectively which, as shown in Fig. 3', have rifledgrooves.' The number of'grooves in each guiding means 3 and 3f is equalto the number of vertical piles of cigarettesbetween theverticalpartitions 13', as shown in Fig. 5,'so that each groove receivesa cigarette fromthe corresponding verticalpile. The horizontal row ofcigarettes in the grooves of theguiding means 3 and3f will'be referredto as a group. 2 is a pusher for pushing the lowest group of cigarettesin the hopper 1 onto the guiding means 3. 2 isa bar which is secured tothe rear'end of the pusher 2,37is a guide on the table of the machine inwhich the baris mounted to slide, 41s a lever which is pivoted to one ofthe.

uprights G at its lowerend 5 and engages the bar with its slotted upperend, 6 isa rolleron the lever, 7 is a cam plate on'a shaft 25 which ismounted to rotate in one of the uprights G for imparting g, 1,927,648"-AT -N LQ E rocking motion to the lever 4', and 36 is a pull-back springattached to the lever f1. j The stroke of the pusher 2 is so determinedthat it moves the group of cigarettes G a considerable distance alongthe guiding 111851183, as shown in Fig. 1, whereupon it returns to itsinitial position. The group 1 G is now engaged by feeding means which inthe present instance include a pair of sprockets 11 a chain 9 on thesprockets, and gri pers 8 on the .chain. The grippers 'engagethe group Gand feed them along the guiding means 3; While the cigarettes are fedalong the guiding means the rifled grooves move them into the positionshown in full lines in Fig. 4 from the position shown in dotted lines,so that the cigarettes areal-ranged in oblique positions, resemblingscales or tiles. At the rear of the guiding means 3 a track 10is'provided and equipped with side flanges 10 for holding the pushingthe lowest group of cigarettes in the withfast and loose pulleys 18,Fig. 5.

hopper 13 onto the track 12. Themechanism for operating this pusher issimilar to the mechanism for operatingthe pusher 2 and includes arocking lever 4 pivoted at 5'.in the second upright G, a

bar '14, a guide 38, a roller 6, a cam plate 7 on a shaft 19 and apull-back spring36'.

,3 is a guiding means similar to the means 3 which is allotted to thetrack 12 so that the. cigarettes" in group G 'are arranged in theoblique position illustrated in Fig. 4. The pusher. 14

movesthe group G into the position shown in 1 Fig. l, and is thenretracted. The group G is 25 now engaged by the second feeding mechanismwhich includes a chain 31 on a pair of sprockets,

only one of which is illustrated, grippers 15 on the chain and guidingsheaves l6 and 17'. The grippers 15 feed the group G in the direction ofthe arrow in Fig. 1 as far as theguiding sheaves 16 and 17 which moveeach gripper down so far that it enters the track 10. The two groups Gand. G arenow superimposed and are moved to g the packing station (notshown) together by the gripper 15, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig.1;

The shaft. 19 on which the cam plate 7, is secured, is the main drivingshaft and is equipped 20 is a bearing for the shaft 19 in the upright Gat the right in Fig. 5, and 21 is an upright at the side of the machinefor supporting the outer end of the shaft 19. sprocket on the shaft 25of the cam plate '7, and 23is a chain'connecting the two sprockets. 26is a second sprocket on the shaft 19, 28 is a sprocket on the shaft 29of the sprocket 20 for the second gripper chain'31, and 2'7 is a chainconnecting the 32 is a third sprocket on the sprockets 26 and 28. shaft:19, 34 is asprocket on the shaft 35 of the first gripper chain 9, and33 is a chain connecting the sprockets. The shafts 35 and29 are mountedto rotateinLsuitable bearings on the table of the machine, as best seenin Fig. 2.

In order to prevent interference of the grippers 8 on the chain 9withthe hopper 13 when they move along the upper reach of the chain 9,they are hinged to the links of the chain as shown in Fig. 5.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to theexact. details of construction shown and described for obviousmodifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

In the claims affixed to this'specification no 7 selectionof anyparticular modificationof the invention is intended to the exclusion ofother modifications thereof and the right to subsequently make claim to'any modification not covered by these claims is expressly reserved.

: I claim:

22 is a sprocket on the shaft 19, 24 is a partitions in each hopper forarranging the cigarettes in vertical piles, means for'feeding a groupfrom the first hopper to a station, and means ond hopper, said latterfeeding means being arfOrfeeding to said station a group from thesecranged to entrain the two groups together, and I all feeding meansbeing arranged in line with comprising a plurality of supply hoppersarranged in vertically stepped relation along the machine, partitions ineach hopper for arranging the cigarettes in vertical piles, means forfeeding a group from each preceding hopper to. a station, -and means forfeeding to said station a group fromthe succeeding hopper, said' latterfeeding means being arranged to entrain all the groups collected at astation, and allfeeding means .being arranged in line with said'ho'ppersand in the direction in partitions in each hopper for arranging thecigarettes in vertical piles, means forejecting from each hopper thebottom group of cigarettes, means for feeding the group ejected fromthe' first hopper to a station .and means for feeding to said stationthe group ejected from the second.

hopper, said latter feeding means being arranged to entrain the twogroups together, and all feed-' ing means being arranged in line withsaid, hoppers and inthe direction in which the raga-- rettes aredelivered to them from the hoppers.

4. A machine for packing groups of cigarettes of oblong cross sectioncomprising a pluralityv of supply hoppers arranged invertically'steppedre-' lation along the machine, guiding means allottedto each hopper for moving the cigarettes into.

oblique position, means for feeding a group from the first hopper to astation, and means for feed-'- ing to said station a group from thesecond hopper, said latter feeding means beingarranged to entrain thetwo groups togetherg 5. A machine for packing groups of cigarettes ofoblong cross section comprising a plurality of supply hoppers arrangedin vertically stepped relation along the machine, guiding means havinggrooves resembling rifling allotted" .to each hopper and arranged tomove the cigarettes into the first hopper to a station, and. means forfeed-. ing to said station a group from the second hopper, said latterfeeding means being arranged to entrain the two groups together. i

. oblique position, means for feeding a group from 6. A machine forpacking groups of cigarettes comprising a plurality of supply hoppersarranged in vertically stepped relation along the machine, partitions ineach hopper for arranging the oiga rettes in vertical piles, means forfeeding a group.

from'the first hopper to a station, and. means.

for feeding to said station agroup from the second hopper, said latterfeeding means being arranged to entrain the two groups together, saidguiding means having grooves arranged in line with the spaces betweensaid partitions, and all feeding means being arrangedin line with. saidhoppers and in the direction in which the cigarettes are delivered tothem from the hoppers.

. JOI'IANNES NEFF.

